Day 332 - Celebrating 50 - at Last!

Day 332 - Celebrating 50 - at Last!, a photo by JC Cannistraro on Flickr.

On this day in 1963, John Cannistraro Sr. (center-front in the photo above) began his journey as entrepreneur. Today J.C. Cannistraro is the largest mechanical construction company in New England, and is well-recognized all over the United States. In the historic photo from last evening's Anniversary festivities, three generations of the Cannistraro family business are shown together. Congratulations to the Cannistraro family for such a tremendous achievement, and thank you to all those who helped get the company to where it is today!

Day 331 - Let the party begin...

Day 331 - Let the party begin..., a photo by JC Cannistraro on Flickr.

The year-long preparations for the company's 50th anniversary celebration are falling into place! This evening we welcome employees (both past and present) to the Intercontinental Hotel Boston for a gala reception honoring Mr. C, the Cannistraro family and 50 years of Building with Intelligence!

Day 330 - A Video Retrospective

Day 330 - A Video Retrospective, a photo by JC Cannistraro on Flickr.

With Anniversary week upon us, we are happy to share a fantastic video that was created especially in honor of Cannistraro's 50 years of Building with Intelligence. In the video we hear first-hand stories of how John Cannistraro, Sr. founded his company, from the people who worked with him and for him. Enjoy! bit.ly/11pzvWG

Day 329 - Golfing for IFMA

Day 329 - Golfing for IFMA, a photo by JC Cannistraro on Flickr.

This week Cannistraro Service Group sponsored a hole and participated in the annual IFMA Golf Outing, held for the first time at Red Tail Golf Club in Devens, MA. If you're a golfer in Greater Boston area, keep your eyes peeled for some very special Cannistraro golf balls that may or may not have made their way into the woods or bunkers of some of the area's best courses!

Day 328- Social Media at NEBFM '13

Today's photo was taken shortly after An Interactive "How-To" Session on social media at the Northeast Facilities and Buildings Management show at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. Tom Palange, Director of Marketing for Cannistraro, was one of the keynote speakers at the talk. This picture was taken at the Social Media Pavilion sponsored by Cannistraro.

Day 327- Step Right Up!

Today's photo comes from the Cannistraro Service Group booth at the NEBFM show at the BCEC where we're giving away Service Group golf balls to those who can beat the putt-putt challenge. The trade show brings out building owners and facility managers every June.

Day 326 - Rolling in to NEBFM'13

Day 326 - Rolling in to NEBFM'13, a photo by JC Cannistraro on Flickr.

This week the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center (BCEC) hosts the area's largest facility management trade show and conference....and Cannistraro Service Group will be there in more ways than one! We invite facility managers, builders and property managers to visit our booth for a quick round of "trade show booth golf," and to stop by the official show Social Media Pavilion sponsored by J.C. Cannistraro. Then be sure to check out a presentation by Michael Cannistraro on Wednesday June 12th. For more information, visit the show's website: www.proexpos.com/NEBFM/index.php

Day 325 - Socia Media in Construction

Day 325 - Socia Media in Construction, a photo by JC Cannistraro on Flickr.

Cannistraro has been very active over the past couple of years in the social mediasphere and invites you all to interact with us on our Twitter, Facebook, Linked In, and YouTube accounts. The Cannistraro Marketing Department has shared its social media experience with various industry associations including the Massachusetts Building Congress, the Associated General Contractors of America and the Construction Institute. Next week, they will participate in a panel as part of the Northeast Building and Facility Management Show in Boston.

And if you haven't already, please remember to vote for Cannistraro in the Boston Business Journal's "Social Madness" competition pitting the most "social media savvy" companies against each other here in the Boston area.
www.bizjournals.com/boston/socialmadness?ana=twt

Photo credit: ENR Magazine

Day 324 - Hot off the Presses

Day 324 - Hot off the Presses, a photo by JC Cannistraro on Flickr.

Blog readers this morning get an early look at the cover Cannistraro's latest edition of Shop Talk; our first ever anniversary issue. Publishing on June 20, 2013, the official 50th anniversary of the company, this special issue features in depth interviews and a retrospective from 1963 to today.

Day 323- Spaulding Rehab in High-Profile Monthly

Day 323- Spaulding Rehab in High-Profile Monthly, a photo by JC Cannistraro on Flickr.

Today's photo shares some press on Cannistraro and their work on Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital. The healthcare facility, run by Partners Healthcare, recently unveiled its 262,000sf patient-centered hospital to the public. J.C. Cannistraro served as the mechanical, electric and plumbing engineer on the project. Elsewhere in the publication, John Cannistraro Jr, President of Cannistraro, praised the growing healthcare industry in the Boston area for all the lives they have saved and the patients they serve every day.

Day 322- Caught up in that Social Madness

Day 322- Caught up in that Social Madness, a photo by JC Cannistraro on Flickr.

Yesterday marked the beginning of the Boston Business Journal's Social Madness competition. Mimicing the style of March Madness, the competition consists of local companies competing for attention on their social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Today's pictures shows one of Cannistraro's co-ops engaging with Cannistraro on those social media platforms. We challenge you to engage on our social media sites and to vote for us in the competition here: www.bizjournals.com/boston/socialmadness.

Day 321- Plumbing Wedding

Day 321- Plumbing Wedding, a photo by JC Cannistraro on Flickr.

Today's screenshot was taken from a wedding blog called "Rock N Roll Bride." This particular wedding was held at The Plumbing Museum attached to Cannistraro's corporate headquarters in Watertown MA. The wedding was complete with plumbing themed decorations and plenty of puns. Bride, Tracy, was quoted as saying “we got married amongst a wide variety of antique toilets! I’m probably the first bride to be told, ‘we’ll move these urinals out of the way the day of your wedding.’" To learn more about this unique wedding at The Plumbing Museum visit www.rocknrollbride.com/2013/06/plumbing-pee-wee-herman-we....

Day 320 - A View from the Seaport Streets

Day 320 - A View from the Seaport Streets, a photo by JC Cannistraro on Flickr.

Summer weather has arrived in Boston just in time for the weekend. In fact, many people will likely spend time in Boston's thriving, revitalized Seaport District where so many new construction projects are under way. One such project, Waterside Place, is really coming along. In fact, passers by along the streets of the Seaport (more specifically in front of the Renaissance Waterfront Hotel where this photo was taken), are currently seeing this progress first hand. Cannistraro is the specialty contractor delivering Plumbing, HVAC and Fire Protection on this high-rise, multi-family residence.

Day 319 - Celebrating Excellence in the Built Environment

Day 319 - Celebrating Excellence in the Built Environment, a photo by JC Cannistraro on Flickr.

One week ago this evening the Boston Chapter of IFMA (International Facility Management Association) held its 10th annual Awards of Excellence Gala. Representatives from Cannistraro and Cannistraro Service Group were proud to be in attendance as they rooted for the Hogan-Wrentham project...a nominee for Best Large Project for 2013.

Day 318 - Boston Construction & Development

Day 318 - Boston Construction & Development, a photo by JC Cannistraro on Flickr.

Yes, that's a Cannistraro hard hat on the emcee of this morning's BISNOW Construction and Development Summit held at the historic Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel. Among the topics of discussion being thrown around by a panel of the area's top developers were the need for prefabrication, modularization and early collaboration with contractors and subcontractors....all perfect topics to come up in an event sponsored by J.C. Cannistraro!

Day 317- Bowling for NAWIC

Day 317- Bowling for NAWIC, a photo by JC Cannistraro on Flickr.

Today's blog photo is of some Cannistraro employees who participated in the National Association of Women in Construction bowling fundraiser. Kourtney Thomas, a Project Manager and Estimator for Cannistraro is Treasurer for the Boston chapter of NAWIC. Team Cannistraro was proud to be a part of this event that helps deliver scholarships to women in the construction industry.

Day 316 - Safety Week 2013

Day 316 - Safety Week 2013, a photo by JC Cannistraro on Flickr.

Today's photo comes compliments of one of Cannistraro's Assistant Project Managers on the Novartis Cambridge Campus Expansion project. In honor Safety Week 2013 last week, Skanska and the rest of the project team gave team members the opportunity to take a fun photo in front of a green screen of the job site in return for an actual photo of someone working safely on site. Kudos on this creative way to promote the importance of working safely!

Day 315- Social Madness

Day 315- Social Madness, a photo by JC Cannistraro on Flickr.

Today's blog post is about Social Madness! The Boston Business Journal has put together a competition to see what company social media pages in the area get the most activity. Cannistraro has decided to participatre and today we ask you to find and like, follow, etc. our social media pages. The competition actually starts on June 3 so make sure you drop by and say hello between then and July 9!
www.facebook.com/jccannistraro
www.twitter.com/jccannistraro
www.linkedin.com/company/j.c.-cannistraro-llc

Day 314- BIM at the Shop

Day 314- BIM at the Shop, a photo by JC Cannistraro on Flickr.

Today's photo shows a different side of BIM. In this photo we see a Cannistraro employee at the pre-fab shop in Wilmington using BIM to prepare for prefabrication using the automated welding machines located right outside of his door. The technology used in prefabrication is rapidly improving and expanding and Cannistraro has been taking advantage of that all along the way.

Day 313 - Lucky Numbers

Day 313 - Lucky Numbers, a photo by JC Cannistraro on Flickr.

Today's unassuming photo of the parking lot at Cannistraro's Watertown, MA headquarters is significant because of the building seen across the way. In honor of day 313 of posts on this blog, we celebrate Mr. C's favorite lucky number "3-1-3" with a look at the 313 Pleasant Street Building (home to the Cannistraro Service Group). In fact, this photo was even taken looking out the window of Mr. C's office!

Day 312 - Hope is around the Corner

Day 312 - Hope is around the Corner, a photo by JC Cannistraro on Flickr.

For the past year we've covered the progress of the Mirebalais Hospital project in Haiti; a cause that was very important to everyone here at J.C. Cannistraro. While our firm's role has been played on the ground in Haiti, we are impressed with what we've seen and experienced. John Cannistraro, Jr. visited the site of the new Mirebalais Hospital at the end of April for the fourth time, and when he returned, he shared stories of hope. The beautiful landscape seen in today's photo conveys this hope in the form of an open air healing garden within this beautiful state-of-the-art hospital.

Day 311- Recaping Cambridge Center

Day 311- Recaping Cambridge Center, a photo by JC Cannistraro on Flickr.

Today's photo is from an interview of the Project Manager and Foremen for the Cambridge Center Capital Improvements project. Cannistraro worked on HVAC improvements including boilers and cooling towers for buildings 3, 4 and 5 at Cambridge Center. The most interesting thing about this project is how the Layout Foreman, Kevin (front right in the photo) produced hand-drawn sketches for every part of the buildings' mechanical infrastructure before Cannistraro began work. In some cases, these sketches went directly to the pre-fab shop for construction. Technology is important but sometimes doing it by hand is necessary and in those cases we see the human side of technology.

Day 310 - World Class Healthcare Facilities

Day 310 - World Class Healthcare Facilities, a photo by JC Cannistraro on Flickr.

Recent headlines have really reminded us here in the Boston area just how lucky we are to have the absolute best hospitals in the world right in our back yard. Driving through the West End of the city of Boston yesterday, and seeing the bustling Mass. General campus really drove that point home. In homage to that sentiment, today's photo is the road view of MGH (a longstanding Cannistraro customer), where you can see the state-of-the-art Lunder Building rising from the middle of the hospital campus. On the other side of that building is Storrow Drive and Boston's iconic Charles River.

Day 309- Time Capsule

Day 309- Time Capsule, a photo by JC Cannistraro on Flickr.

Today's blog photo is from the Cannistraro time capsule! Michael Cannistraro signed and sealed a copy of our 50th anniversary invitation and is keeping it in a time capsule to be reopened at the company's 75th anniversary.

Day 308 - Titans of the Industry

Day 308 - Titans of the Industry, a photo by JC Cannistraro on Flickr.

Earlier this morning Cannistraro President John Cannistraro, Jr., President and CEO of the Kohler Company David Kohler, and Hugh Kelliher, Executive Director of the PHCC of Greater Boston met in Watertown inside the historic Plumbing Museum. Shown in the photo above, this is no doubt an impressive trio of Plumbing experts!

Day 307 - Laboratory BIM

Day 307 - Laboratory BIM, a photo by JC Cannistraro on Flickr.

We begin the week with a look inside a building information model. The mechanical room taking shape in the screenshot above gives you an idea of the complexity of the preconstruction process on a state-of-the-art laboratory in the Boston/Cambridge area.

Day 306 - Throwback Thursday - Haiti: Then & Now

Day 306 - Throwback Thursday - Haiti: Then & Now, a photo by JC Cannistraro on Flickr.

In a company-wide meeting being held tomorrow to share the progress that was made on the Mirebalais Hospital project, we came across this stunning comparison photo. In the fall of 2010 Partners in Health (and others) broke ground on a new, world-class teaching hospital in the Central Plateau of Haiti. Countless project partners came to the rescue to help fund and build this beautiful facility and Cannistraro is both proud and honored to have been part of the team. John Cannistraro, Jr. recently attended the opening ceremony for the hospital where he took the bottom photo of the finished product. Congratulations to all those involved!

Day 305 - Words from our Founder

Day 305 - Words from our Founder, a photo by JC Cannistraro on Flickr.

Over the past few weeks we've taken you behind the scenes of an upcoming video production that's being put together in conjunction with Cannistraro's 50th anniversary. Yesterday was the last day of filming and we wrapped with none other than the Founder himself, "Mr. C." (John Cannistraro, Sr). Today we take a look at Mr. C in the big chair as he was asked about the Plumbing business today versus in 1963 as well as the principles with which he ran his company.

Day 304 - Reflections on Cannistraro's Early Days

Day 304 - Reflections on Cannistraro's Early Days, a photo by JC Cannistraro on Flickr.

An epic meeting was held this morning within the confines of the Plumbing Museum among some of the true icons of the Greater Boston A/E/C industry. In attendance were John Cannistraro, Sr., Alfred Tiberi, Bahig Kaldas, John Halfrey and Bill Lyons. The group reflected on the early days of J.C. Cannistraro and how the industry has changed. Collectively, the gentlemen sitting around the table in this photo have combined experience of more than 250 years in construction.

Day 303 - Tablets and Glue

Day 303 - Tablets and Glue, a photo by JC Cannistraro on Flickr.

We kick off the week with a great picture from a technology demonstration held this morning here at the Cannistraro Watertown office. Project Managers demonstrated how fully operable building information models can be populated and used on a job site easier than ever on an iPad or tablet device.

Day 302 - Panoramic Prefab

Day 302 - Panoramic Prefab, a photo by JC Cannistraro on Flickr.

We close out this week of interesting posts with a panoramic image taken from the storage facility at Cannistraro's Plumbing and HVAC fabrication shop. Prefabricated assemblies for the the Longwood Center project in downtown Boston are currently in process and being stored here for just-in-time delivery.

Day 301- IFMA Boston Supports One Fund Boston

Day 301- IFMA Boston Supports One Fund Boston, a photo by JC Cannistraro on Flickr.

As a gold sponsor of the Boston chapter of IFMA, Cannistraro is proud to share that IFMA is holding an event to support the One Fund Boston started by Mayor Tom Menino and Governor Deval Patrick to help victims of the Boston Marathon bombings. The event will be held on Monday, May 13 at 5:30 pm at Towne Stove & Spirits on Boylston Street. We invite you to join this event by going to onefundbostonfundraiser.eventbrite.com/#. Today's photo was taken by one of Cannistraro's co-ops in Watertown Center right near Cannistraro's main offices.

Day 300- Outside 225 Binney

Day 300- Outside 225 Binney, a photo by JC Cannistraro on Flickr.

Yesterday we showed you pictures of the inside of Biogen Idec's new building in Cambridge's world-renowned scientific research center. Today we show you a photo from the outside of this incredible building. If you happen to drive down to this are you will notice quite a bit of construction going on. This is a good sign for scientists and construction workers alike. Cannistraro is proud to be a part of this blooming scientific epicenter.

Day 299- Inside 225 Binney

Day 299- Inside 225 Binney, a photo by JC Cannistraro on Flickr.

The future home of Biogen Idec's general and administrative functions is well under way. Cannistraro is there to put in fire protection and plumbing products that were mostly pre-fabricated in Cannistraro facilities. Today's trip to 225 Binney Street, one of the buildings that will be a part of the Alexandria Center at Kendall Square, focused on safety and the results were very positive. Cannistraro is always proud to put safety first on construction sites!

Day 298 - Cannistraro Collaboration Center

Day 298 - Cannistraro Collaboration Center, a photo by JC Cannistraro on Flickr.

We've often shared stories of the success of our ongoing co-op program throughout the course of this blog. As part of our continuing commitment to mentorship and education, we are proud to unveil the Cannistraro Collaboration Center, a new breakout space at the Flanagan Campus Center at Wentworth Institute of Technology. It is fitting that the words "innovate" and "collaborate" adorn this newly sponsored area on campus as they are action words that most certainly describe a semester (or career) at J.C. Cannistraro.

Day 297- #HumanBIM

Day 297- #HumanBIM, a photo by JC Cannistraro on Flickr.

This week Cannistraro has been participating in the BIMForum in Miami, Florida where AEC professionals from around the country have gathered to discuss the human component of BIM and collaboration. One recurring theme this week is the power of shared knowledge in the information age. Social media is playing a major role in conveying this message, and there is no better example than the dynamic Twitter discussion yielded by John Cannistraro's presentation posted to this blog yesterday. In today's post we show some of the chatter that was shared among all those interested in the concept of #humanbim.

Day 296 - Live from the BIMForum

Day 296 - Live from the BIMForum, a photo by JC Cannistraro on Flickr.

JCC President John Cannistraro Jr. Hit the BIMforum stage in Miami, FL discussing the generation gap in the AEC industry. While he kept the audience laughing, the demographic details he shared were quite telling.

Day 295- Taking the Plunge

Day 295- Taking the Plunge, a photo by JC Cannistraro on Flickr.

This past Saturday, the first wedding ceremony at The Plumbing Museum occurred. It was complete with plumbing influenced decorations (seen above) and plenty of plumbing puns. Congrats to the happy couple who we hope won't be the last to "take the plunge" at The Plumbing Museum.

Day 294- Pre-Fab Panorama

Day 294- Pre-Fab Panorama, a photo by JC Cannistraro on Flickr.

Today's photo is a panorama taken at the Cannistraro Pre-Fabrication Facility in Wilmington, MA. This facility is a 40,000 square foot Plumbing and HVAC shop complete with overhead cranes, plasma cutters, and automatic welding machines. In the picture, you can see how large the space is and that's only the HVAC side!

Day 293 - Waterside Tops Off

Day 293 - Waterside Tops Off, a photo by JC Cannistraro on Flickr.

Today we share a great photo taken by our friends at the Boston BISNOW from yesterday's "Topping Off Ceremony" at the forthcoming Waterside Place project. This 350,000 sf building will be a high-rise multi-family residence complex with some mixed-use retail space as well. Cannistraro is performing all mechanical trades including HVAC, Plumbing and Fire Protection on this lean project for Suffolk Construction and the Drew Company.

Read the full BISNOW coverage of the topping off ceremony here: tinyurl.com/c994pkw

Day 292 - Proud Americans, Proud Bostonians

Day 292 - Proud Americans, Proud Bostonians, a photo by JC Cannistraro on Flickr.

In light of yesterday's tragic events here in Boston, it was difficult to find a photo/story to share as today's post. We contemplated not posting at all today, or even this week. Then we were reminded of an embroidered symbol on the sleeve of many of our own Cannistraro work wear...the American flag. This symbol reminded us that we are fighters and that we are proud. Americans are proud of our country. Bostonians are proud of our city. We are back at work today. And while our hearts are heavy and our guards are up, we stand together.

Day 291 - Preventative Maintenance Programs

Day 291 - Preventative Maintenance Programs, a photo by JC Cannistraro on Flickr.

The past two years have proven to be an exciting period of growth for the Cannistraro Service Group. From large conference facilities (as shown in today's photo) to laboratories to office or high-rise residential buildings, Cannistraro Service Group technicians are forming PM relationships with facility managers across the Greater Boston area.

Day 290 - Riser Logistics

Day 290 - Riser Logistics, a photo by JC Cannistraro on Flickr.

Today's post is a great photo from a laboratory/office project along Memorial Drive in Cambridge, MA from a few years ago. Once the prefabricated riser assembly was produced from the BIM, it was delivered to the job site, carefully rigged and installed using precision and field experience.

Day 289 - Cross Generational Collaboration

Day 289 - Cross Generational Collaboration, a photo by JC Cannistraro on Flickr.

You hear a lot about the generation gap in the workplace, but at Cannistraro we believe that each age demographic brings learning opportunities and varying skill sets. Today's post is a great example of cross-generational collaboration between a Baby Boomer, a Generation-Xer and a couple of Millennials. Stay tuned for more on this topic in a couple weeks as Cannistraro participates in the Spring BIM Forum where the topic of discussion is the "Human Side of BIM."

Day 288- Waterside Gets Cooler

Day 288- Waterside Gets Cooler, a photo by JC Cannistraro on Flickr.

Today's photo shows a delivery of the cooling tower bases for the Waterside project to the pre-fab shop in Wilmington. One would think moving such large units would be a huge project but the team in Wilmington didn't even break a sweat moving these babies. Good thing our film crew was there to catch the whole thing on tape!

Day 287 - Prefab in all shapes and sizes

Day 287 - Prefab in all shapes and sizes, a photo by JC Cannistraro on Flickr.

We've shared a lot of photos of large, industrial piping that has been prefabricated in the Cannistraro fab shop over the past year. BIM-enabled prefabrication however, is not limited to major piping systems with large diameter mains and risers. In fact, From support systems to laundry connections (shown above), there are dozens of creative way to use prefabrication to deliver a safer, higher quality project.

Day 286 - Fab Shop Filming

Day 286 - Fab Shop Filming, a photo by JC Cannistraro on Flickr.

The videography process continues as the 50th anniversary of J.C. Cannistraro draws closer. Yesterday our film crew visited our HVAC and Plumbing manufacturing facility where they spoke with both prefabrication managers, a BIM coordinator and an assistant project manager. The welding stations and cranes were busier than ever and the footage came out great. More to come soon about this 50th retrospective.

Day 285 - Point Cloud Integration

Day 285 - Point Cloud Integration, a photo by JC Cannistraro on Flickr.

For renovation or expansion projects that require a comprehensive BIM process, the need for laser scanning often exists. Using the laser scan generated point cloud, Cannistraro coordinators and detailers can create accurate, buildable models as shown in today's photo taken in the HVAC Coordination Department.

Day 284 - Simultaneous Celebrations

Day 284 - Simultaneous Celebrations, a photo by JC Cannistraro on Flickr.

Cannistraro isn't the only company celebrating a 50th anniversary in 2013...as it turns out, our media partners at the New England Real Estate Journal (NEREJ) were founded in 1963 as well! In fact, the Journal's current issue is a historic anniversary issue in which Cannistraro has both an ad and a retrospective article. Congratulations to everyone at the NEREJ for this impressive milestone! If you haven't already, definitely check out the digital edition of this week's Anniversary Issue: digital.turn-page.com/i/118093/74

Day 283- Rally Against Cancer

Day 283- Rally Against Cancer, a photo by JC Cannistraro on Flickr.

Today, for the opening day of the Red Sox season, the entire Cannistraro office raised $800 for the Jimmy Fund's Rally Against Cancer fundraiser. As an added benefit for their contributions, Cannistraro employees were allowed to wear their Red Sox gear to work. Everyone came dressed to win and to watch the opening game against the New York Yankees. Today's photo is a shot from the event where we made our own Green Monster!